UT basketball: Bradley, James drafted in first round

Last winter, the Texas Longhorns failed to capitalize on a roster loaded with NBA talent. Now a couple of those players have a chance to prove they can still live up to expectations.

Former UT standouts Avery Bradley and Damion James both were selected in the first round of the NBA draft on Thursday, giving the Longhorns a pair of first-rounders for the first time since Travis Mays and Lance Blanks were picked in 1990.

Bradley, a 6-foot-2 guard, was taken by the Boston Celtics with the 19th overall pick. He averaged 11.6 points and 2.1 assists per game as a freshman for the Longhorns last season.

James, a 6-7 forward who broke the UT and Big 12 career rebounding records, was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 24th overall pick. He averaged 18.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per game as a senior.

With the selections of Bradley and James, the Longhorns have produced seven first-round picks since 2000.

Later Thursday, former UT center Dexter Pittman was taken by the Miami Heat in the second round with the 32nd overall pick. That gave the Longhorns three draft picks in one year for the first time since LaMarcus Aldridge, P.J. Tucker and Daniel Gibson were all selected in 200